Process for effecting chemical action in gases.



No. 829,876. PATENTED AUG. Q8, .1906.

D. R. LOVEJOY. PROCESS FOR EFFEOTING CHEMICAL ACTION IN GASES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27.1903. RENEWED JULY 5, 1906.

UNITED STATES .DIMMITT R. LOVEJOY, or NIAGAR ATMOSPHERIC PRODUCTSCOMPANY, OF YORK, A CORPORATION'OF NEW YORK.

TENT anion,

A FALLS, NEW YORK, ass'rcnoa TO NIAGARA FALLS, new

PROCESS FOR EFFEGTENG cesarean. ACTBON m eases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Application filed January 27, 1903. Renewed July 5. 1905. Serial No.324,830.

and State of New York, have inventedv cer' tam new and usefulImprovements in Processes for Efleeting Chemical Action in Gases, ofwhich the following is a full, clear. and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in processes for effecting theunion or chemical action of gases by the agency of electric arcsformedwithin or in connection with a charm ber in which are containedthe mixed gases to be chemicall cbmbined.

In United btates Patent No. 709,867, granted to C. S. Bradley and D. R.Lovejoy September 30, 1902, and my application Serial No. 109,443, filedMay 29, 1902, apparatus for this pur ose is described, in whlch cases aseries 0 electrodes is moved past another series of electrodesoppositely charged to a high tension, so as to successively form,'elongate, and break arcs between such electrodes within a chamber inwhich the mixed gases to be united are confined.

I have discovered that the desired eifect maybe more successfullyroduced by sub jecting the gases individual y to the act on ofelectrodes charged to a high degree ofelec trical potential in such amanner that the respective molecules of the two gases shall be given anelectrostatic charge of high potential, the molecules of ne gas beinggiven a positive charge and t e molecules of the other gas a negativecharge previous to subjecting the gases, after mixing the same, to theaction of electric arcs.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown diagrammatically the apparatusfor carrying this invention into effect, in which the chamber 1 isprovided with two distinct sets of inlet-ducts, which are preferably ofinsulating material, and included in the path in each gas is anelectrifying-chamber 53 and" -54, thege containing electrodes 55 and 56,

which are adapted to electrostatically charge the molecules of the gasesin contact therewith and which are connected to the source of highunidirectional potential 57. The two gases after being electrified aremixed in the chamber 1 in the presence of the arcs or just previously tocoming into the presence of said arcs. The chamber 1, above referred toand in which the electrical arcs are formed, may be essentially the sameas that set forth electrodes 2, mounted around the inner peripheryofsaid chamber; a shaft 3, mounted to rotate within the said chamber, andmovthe said shaft and connected electrically thereto; afiexhaust-fan yor other means causing flow of gases through the chamber; a

either unidirectional or alternating; a series of inductances orchoke-coils 9, each having one terminal connected-individually to one ofthe fixed electrodes 2 and having their remaining terminals groupedtogether and connected to one pole of the generator 8,'the cireuit beingcompleted by connecting the shaft 3 to the remaining pole of thegenerator.

it may be stated that equal volumes of nitrogen and oxygen gases may beconducted into to ass in contact with the char ed electro es 56,respectively,,by whic the res ective gases areseparatelyelectrostatically c arged to a difference of potential ofabout fifty thousand volts. The limits of voltage maintained between thearc-terminals 2 and 4 may in this case be about ten thousand volts, forinstance, with a current of .01 of an ampere. It has been found thatwith the above conditions chemical combination is efiected andsatisfactory yields areobtained. It is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to any definite or fixed potential differencebetween the molecules of the respective gases or that the current valuesHaving thus described my. invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

. in thepatent granted to C, S. Bradley and D. R.

Love oy, No. 709,867,1nwhich the apparatus consists of a cylindricalchamber 1, fixed The character of gases it is desired to'combine, &c.

able electrodes 4, mounted mechanically upon connected to the outietduct or ducts for source 8 of high-tension electrical currents,

As an illustrative example of the invention,

the chamber 1, these gases being first caused given with respect to thearc-terminals are in rod 1. The process of effecting the combination ofgases Which consists in separately charging the molecules of said gaseselectrostatically and leading charged gases into a common chamber andSEC '2. The process of effecting chemical com- 1 bination of gases Whichconsists in separately charging the gases electrostatically to oppo 1said separately- 4. The process of effecting chemical com bination ofgases Which consists in SGIEeiilllCl'f charging the gaseselectrostatically to opposite potentials, mixing said oppositelyicharged gases, subjecting the mixture to the sub ecting them to theaction of the electric site potentials, mixing said oppositely-1 chargedgases, and subjecting the mixture to mg said opposrtely-charged gases,and subthe action of attenuated electric arcs.

3. The process of effecting chemical comblnatlon of gases whichc0ns1sts'1n sepa rately charging the gases electrostatically to wopposite potentials, mixing said opriositelycharged gases, subjectingthe mixture to the action of the electric current in the form of an arcof minimum volume, and maintaining such are at a minimum volumesufiicient to l prevent ts breaking.

actionof an electric arc, and successively and repeatedly elongating,interrupting and reestablish'ing-said arc.

5. The process of effecting chemical combination of nitrogen and oxygengases, which consists in separately charging said gaseselectrostatically to opposite potentials, mixjecting the mixture to theaction of electric arcs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention l have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

D. R. LOVEJOY.

Witnesses CLAUDE K. Mums, VVM. GIRLING.

